Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States.
Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
Handb Clin Neurol. 2022;188:373-391. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-91534-2.00013-8.
Airway function is under constant neurophysiological control, in order to maximize airflow and gas exchange and to protect the airways from aspiration, damage, and infection. There are multiple sensory nerve subtypes, whose disparate functions provide a wide array of sensory information into the CNS. Activation of these subtypes triggers specific reflexes, including cough and alterations in autonomic efferent control of airway smooth muscle, secretory cells, and vasculature. Importantly, every aspect of these reflex arcs can be impacted and altered by local inflammation caused by chronic lung disease such as asthma, bronchitis, and infections. Excessive and inappropriate activity in sensory and autonomic nerves within the airways is thought to contribute to the morbidity and symptoms associated with lung disease.
气道功能受持续的神经生理控制，以最大限度地增加气流和气体交换，并保护气道免受吸入、损伤和感染。有多种感觉神经亚型，其不同的功能为中枢神经系统提供了广泛的感觉信息。这些亚型的激活引发特定的反射，包括咳嗽和气道平滑肌、分泌细胞和血管自主传出控制的改变。重要的是，慢性肺部疾病（如哮喘、支气管炎和感染）引起的局部炎症会影响和改变这些反射弧的各个方面。气道中感觉和自主神经的过度和不适当活动被认为是导致与肺部疾病相关的发病率和症状的原因。
